Monthly Archives: December 2017

Two Conferences Issue Calls for Proposals

The Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) has opened their call for session proposals for their 2018 conference in Springfield, Illinois, September 13-15. Proposals are due by 4 p.m. MST on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, maximum two proposals per presenter, including individual and group presentations.

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is accepting program or paper proposals for its 2018 Young Adult Services Symposium to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, from Novermber 2-4. The theme of the 2018 symposium is: “Zeroing In: Focusing on Teen Needs.” Symposium participants will explore how libraries can best support teens’ social and emotional learning to help them effectively navigate a challenging world.

Family Tree Magazine Names Wyoming Newspapers to ’75 Best’ List

The December 2017 issue of Family Tree Magazine named Wyoming Newspapers to its list of the 75 best state websites for genealogy for 2017. They wrote: “Search and view more than 800,000 newspaper pages (and growing), including all papers published in Wyoming between 1849 and 1922.”

With your Wyoming library card and PIN, you can read more in this and other issues of Family Tree. The publication is accessible through Zinio Digital Magazines, now part of RBDigital in our GoWYLD e-content resources. Family Tree is one of more than 100 popular magazine titles available at no cost to Wyoming residents.

Wyoming Newspapers is a service of the Wyoming State Library to ensure the preservation of the state’s historical Wyoming newspapers. Making these documents available to the world for education and historical research, including genealogy, is the cornerstone of this service. Questions about Wyoming Newspapers may be directed to Thomas Ivie, WSL Research & Statistics Librarian, at thomas.ivie@wyo.gov or (307) 777-6333.

Free Library Continuing Education Events for January

The January 2018 Wyoming State Library training calendar is now available with 56 great offerings. Every training opportunity on this list is free and offered online. Topics include advocacy, planning, careers, children and teens, collection development, communication, databases, managing change, fundraising, legal, management, outreach and partnerships, programming, readers’ advisory, reference, school libraries, technology, training and instruction, and volunteers.

WSL Receives Keppel Award

(L to R) Thomas Ivie and State Librarian Jamie Markus with their Keppler Award abaci.

The Wyoming State Library has received the 2017 Francis Keppel Award. This award is “given to State Library administrative agencies that have excelled in the completeness, promptness and high quality of the local public library data that they collect, edit and submit annually to IMLS by the designated award due date.”

The WSL collects and maintains library and community statistics for libraries to use for comparison, management, and advocacy. Learn more about what data services we offer and take a look at our statistics webpage.

New Tools to Promote GoWYLD Resources in Your Library

The Wyoming State Library has been hearing one thing many times from librarians across the state: “Please do something to help us promote our resources!”

So that’s what we’re going to do. We’ve created a simple system to help you market the GoWYLD.net databases featuring a different one each month in 2018.

Every month, the WSL Marketing Manager, Cary Dunlap, will email a complete mini-marketing campaign to library directors to use with your patrons. It’ll include an HTML email that promotes that month’s highlighted database with instructions on how to customize it for your library and send it out. There will also be a poster that celebrates and promotes the featured resource. You can print it for use in your spaces or forward it to your email lists.

There’s no requirement to participate. This is just a simple effort from the WSL to make it easy for you to promote library resources in your community.

The first installation should arrive by Monday, January 8. Cary will strive to have each month’s new campaign out the first week of each month. If you are not the main contact for your library, and would like to be added to the email list, please contact Susan Mark at susan.mark@wyo.gov or (307) 777-5915.

Thanks go to Albany County Public Library Director Ruth Troyanek, Fremont County Library System Director Janette Mcmahon, and Uinta County Library Director Claire Francis for all their input on this project.

‘Jumanji’ Public Service Announcements Capture the Adventure Found at the Library

Let’s face it. It’s an information jungle out there and librarians and library staff lead countless quests to transform lives through education and lifelong learning. In conjunction with the anticipated release of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” on December 20, 2017, the American Library Association (ALA) and Sony Pictures are offering free action-packed audio, social media, and video public service announcements (PSAs). Available for download until February 28, the library-themed announcements feature Jack Black and promote transformative resources libraries and library staff offer.

Library supporters are welcome to download, share and post PSAs to library web pages and social media channels. Broadcast quality PSAs also are available for radio and television organizations.“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” PSAs are made possible by Sony Pictures and Libraries Transform, a national initiative of the ALA that increases public awareness of the value, impact, and services provided by libraries and library professionals. Library supporters are welcome to join the campaign to access free resources and tools to promote the value of our nation’s libraries.

2018 Teen Tech Week™ Site Now Live

The Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) 2018 Teen Tech Week website is now live. The celebration will take place March 4-10, 2018 with the theme “Libraries are for Creating.”

The 2018 theme encourages teens to take advantage of all the great digital tools offered through the library to become content creators, and to leverage library resources to share out their creations, whether they be podcasts, videos, apps, games, wearable tech, or some other fabulous invention or creation!

Library staff, afterschool providers and educators interested in learning more about Teen Tech Week and how they can celebrate the event can visit the official Teen Tech Week site and register for free to access helpful resources, materials, and downloadable artwork, including posters and bookmarks. Chinese, English, and Spanish language versions of the themed artwork are available as free downloads.

A Cowhand’s Christmas Carol at the Lander Library

On Saturday, December 16, the Fremont County Library System–Lander and local business sponsor Edward Jones presented a melodrama to the public. “The Cowhand’s Christmas Carol…or, ’Twas Tired of Plum Pudding” consisted of three of the library staff (Manager Anita Marple, and Anna Smedts and Tasha Reeves of Adult Circulation) as well as Edward Jones’ own Lonnie Bull and John P. Shade. Dr. Jeremy Norton was also in the cast.

The community members who came to watch the melodrama filled the library’s Carnegie Room to capacity. One spectator commented that the performance was “fun, pure joy!” Another stated, “I haven’t laughed this much all year.” Edward Jones bought the majority of the costumes for the event and then donated them to the library in hopes that they could use them again for future productions. Library patron David Santana donated his time, sound, lighting and recording equipment in order to make the production even more appealing to the public.

Tasha Reeves, who directed the play, said, “We have noticed a need for this type of entertainment in the community. People want theater here. Our library has the beautiful Carnegie to perform in and people willing to make sure it happens.”